You may have heard the sad news that Inspiral Carpets drummer Craig Gill died last week aged just 44. Friends and fans have launched a campaign to get their 1994 single Saturn 5 to the number one slot for Christmas as a tribute, so you know what to do. Back in 1990 this was the song that broke them through from a local concern to a national following.

Back before Manchester City got a load of cash United fans used to be able to sing along to this with different words- ‘this is how it feels to be City, this is how it feels to be small, this is how it feels when your team wins nothing at all’. Alas, we can sing it no more.

This is Sifters record shop, in Burnage, south Manchester, known far and wide due to Noel Gallagher immortalising Mr Sifter in Oasis’s early single Shakermaker . I grew up not far from here and have been visiting Sifters on and off since early 80s. It’s the kind of place you can rummage for an hour and come out with seven records having spent less than twenty quid. A fair few years ago, six or seven maybe, I took the kids to Fog Lane Park (another of my childhood/teenage haunts). I then took them over the road to Sifters and to pacify them while I had at least ten minutes sifting I put them in front of the 12″ rack and told them to choose one each. Whether through luck or judgement both chose acceptably- I.T. settled on The Fall’s cover of R Dean Taylor’s There’s A Ghost In My House- must have been the sleeve- and daughter E.T., only two-ish, wanted Madonna’s Into The Groove. Neither cost more than £1.95. Amongst other things, I bought this damn fine piece of twenty-first century pop…

I haven’t been to Sifters for years, choosing King Bee in Chorlton for my out of town second hand record shopping these days. It’s closer (and, whisper it, better). But I miss my trips to Sifters. Is it still there, anyone know? May have to take a drive that way soon.